Silver Ferns: Coach search begins

Coach Waimarama Taumaunu will take charge of the national side for next month's Constellation Cup series. File photo / Getty Images

Taumaunu yet to indicate if she will seek another term after Constellation Cup series.

Silver Ferns coach Waimarama Taumaunu will take sole charge of the national side for next month's Constellation Cup series, but it is not clear whether it will be her last campaign.

Taumaunu's assistant, Vicki Wilson, ended her stint with the Ferns last week after a final debriefing on New Zealand's unsuccessful World Cup campaign. Netball New Zealand has decided after consultation with the management team that it was not necessary to bring in someone new for a 10-day, four-test series.

Like Wilson's, Taumaunu's contract was initially due to expire after the World Cup, but earlier this year the national body struck a deal with Taumaunu and the players to extend their contracts through to November because of the short turnaround between campaigns.

Netball NZ has begun the recruiting process for the position of head coach, with applications closing today.

Taumaunu is yet to indicate whether she is seeking another term as head coach, and there has been little to indicate which way she is leaning.

But there is a sense that after the recent growth of the side Taumaunu may not want to leave with the job half-done.

After a disastrous 2014 season, which included an 18-goal loss to Australia in the Commonwealth Games final, the Ferns coach made some bold punts with her World Cup side, leaving several long-serving veterans out of the line-up.

Despite just six weeks to pull the new-look side together, the Ferns upstaged Australia during pool play of the tournament, recording their first win over Australia without Irene van Dyk in the goal circle since 1999.

While New Zealand lost 58-55 to Australia on the back of an awful 16-7 opening quarter, there is a belief that the Ferns have only just started to scratch the surface of their potential.

Wilson told Radio Sport the debrief of the Ferns' programme over the past four years highlighted "whatever could go wrong, did go wrong".

"The team that beat Australia in pool play, that was the first time we were able to put them out there against Australia in four years because of injury," said Wilson.

"So when you consider that, there is a great amount of hope and belief in the group."

Taumaunu's tenure also coincided with a time when Netball NZ was still trying to get to grips with the player depth crisis, having taken the eye off the ball when it came to player development after the advent of the ANZ Championship.

With that in mind, it might be tempting for Taumaunu to have another crack at the role, but she has also made it clear she has other ambitions outside netball she wishes to pursue.